Re: Pulling eyelashes and eyebrows

[Guest guest]

:

Did she only start doing this on Focalin?? This is called trichotillomania but not sure if that is what she has (it is a part of anxiety and ocd), or this is just an anxiety side effect of the meds. My son does this all the time off meds. I would see this as anxiety. Maybe you can lower the dose a bit or add some anti anxiety meds or supplement? At school we give my son different kind of squeezie balls he is allowed to hold and have something for his hands to do other than pick. I no longer obssess over getting him to stop because it was creating even more anxiety. It is sad to see but it is not really harmful to them. Maybe a med switch is in order though to see if it stops. It is definitely anxiety related. The disorder when its not a side effect of a med is a part of an impulse control problem.

Clara

From:

Sent: Friday, October 21, 2011 11:10 AM

To: sList

Subject: Pulling eyelashes and eyebrows

Has anyone had any experience with pulling eyelashes and eyebrows while on focalin? My daughter has been on this med for 3 years and has aspergers/ADHD I don't know what to do...she mainly does it at school and it's getting worse. I have told all the teachers to watch her And remind her to stop but she is still managing to do it. Any suggestions would help...

[Guest guest]

My daughter is on Focalin as well. Have different experiences, picking at my

shirt or at the couch, like she is seeing things, we just increased her dosage.

Don't know what other side effects will occur. She is on 10mg twice a day. Has

your daughter's dose been increased recently as well?

Sent from my Samsung Epicâ„¢ 4G

wrote:

>Has anyone had any experience with pulling eyelashes and eyebrows while on

focalin? My daughter has been on this med for 3 years and has aspergers/ADHD I

don't know what to do...she mainly does it at school and it's getting worse. I

have told all the teachers to watch her And remind her to stop but she is still

managing to do it. Any suggestions would help...

>

[Guest guest]

My son started that on Ritalin. Took him off the meds but the behavior was already embedded. A PBIP and constant work on it finally extinguished the behavior but it took a few years.

Robin

Has anyone had any experience with pulling eyelashes and eyebrows while on focalin? My daughter has been on this med for 3 years and has aspergers/ADHD I don't know what to do...she mainly does it at school and it's getting worse. I have told all the teachers to watch her And remind her to stop but she is still managing to do it. Any suggestions would help...

[Guest guest]

She may be just very anxious and pulling gives a sense of relief!Sent via BlackBerry by AT&TSender: sList Date: Fri, 21 Oct 2011 15:10:37 -0000To: <sList >ReplyTo: sList Subject: Pulling eyelashes and eyebrows Has anyone had any experience with pulling eyelashes and eyebrows while on focalin? My daughter has been on this med for 3 years and has aspergers/ADHD I don't know what to do...she mainly does it at school and it's getting worse. I have told all the teachers to watch her And remind her to stop but she is still managing to do it. Any suggestions would help...

[Guest guest]

That is an obsessive compulsive disorder.She should see a cognitive behavioral therapistAnd may need OCD meds.Sent from my iPhone

She may be just very anxious and pulling gives a sense of relief!Sent via BlackBerry by AT & T

Sender: sList

Date: Fri, 21 Oct 2011 15:10:37 -0000To: <sList >ReplyTo: sList

Subject: Pulling eyelashes and eyebrows

Has anyone had any experience with pulling eyelashes and eyebrows while on focalin? My daughter has been on this med for 3 years and has aspergers/ADHD I don't know what to do...she mainly does it at school and it's getting worse. I have told all the teachers to watch her And remind her to stop but she is still managing to do it. Any suggestions would help...

[Guest guest]

Hi,

There are a lot of questions to be answered. You would need to request the help of a Cognitive Behavior Therapist or Behavior Analyst to provide the necessary treatment.

In the meantime, if you could monitor the behavior at home and have staff do the same at school. write down when, where, under what circumstance the behavior occurs. How does the people in her environment react to the pulling of eyebrow? Is she also pulling her hair from her head, biting her nails? Is she displaying other repetitive behaviors? Did the behavior first appear when she started focalin?

Some of those repetitive behaviors are sensory motivated. Some people may be feeling a tingling sensation in the area where the hair is pulled. Much like an itch that we scratch to relieve that itch, your daughter may be doing the same. However, the fact that you mentioned that the behavior occurs more often at school than at home suggests that it could be to escape school tasks. A full assessment by a trained behavior analyst is required to determine the cause that would lead to the development of a treatment plan.

[Guest guest]

Increases in anxiety are often linked with stimulants like Ritalin and Focalin. You might ask the doctor who prescribed it if there is another medication that is a non-stimulant that would work for your child. I have lost count of the number of children who have come to me for treatment of anxiety which was exacerbated by stimulants.

Terri Jennings, Ph.D.Healing Hooves Psychotherapy, Inc.3500 Peaceful Ridge RoadDavie, Florida 33330 www.healinghoovesinc.comMister B and Friends, Inc. www.MisterBandFriends.comSocial Science and Research Consultants www.socialscienceandresearch.com

My son started that on Ritalin. Took him off the meds but the behavior was already embedded. A PBIP and constant work on it finally extinguished the behavior but it took a few years.

Robin

Has anyone had any experience with pulling eyelashes and eyebrows while on focalin? My daughter has been on this med for 3 years and has aspergers/ADHD I don't know what to do...she mainly does it at school and it's getting worse. I have told all the teachers to watch her And remind her to stop but she is still managing to do it. Any suggestions would help...